1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the structure and method of operations of dedicated telecommunications patching systems where telecommunications lines are selectively coupled to one another in a telecommunications closet using patch cords. More particularly, the present invention relates to telecommunication patching systems that embody patch cord tracing capabilities that help a technician locate the opposite ends of a specific patch cord within the system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many businesses have dedicated telecommunication systems that enable computers, telephones, facsimile machines and the like to communicate with each other, through a private network, and with remote locations via a telecommunications service provider. In most buildings, the dedicated telecommunications system is hard wired using telecommunication cables that contain conductive wire. In such hard wired systems, dedicated wires are coupled to individual service ports throughout the building. The wires from the dedicated service ports extend through the walls of the building to a telecommunications closet or closets. The telecommunications lines from the interface hub of a main frame computer and the telecommunication lines from external telecommunication service providers are also terminated within the telecommunications closets.
A patching system is used to interconnect the various telecommunication lines within the telecommunications closet. In a telecommunications patching system, all of the telecommunication lines are terminated within the telecommunications closet in an organized manner. The organized terminations of the various lines are provided via the structure of the telecommunications closet. Within the telecommunications closet is typically located a mounting frame. On the mounting frame is connected a plurality of racks. The telecommunications lines terminate on the racks, as is explained below.
Referring to FIG. 1, a typical prior art rack 10 is shown. The rack 10 retains a plurality of patch panels 12 that are mounted to the rack 10. On each of the patch panels 12 are located port assemblies 14. The port assemblies 14 each contain six telecommunication connector ports 16 which can accommodate connectors such as the RJ-45.
Each of the different telecommunication connector ports 16 is hard wired to one of the system""s telecommunications lines. Accordingly, each telecommunications line is terminated on a patch panel 12 in an organized manner. In small patch systems, all telecommunications lines may terminate on the patch panels of the same rack. In larger patch systems, multiple racks are used, wherein different telecommunications lines terminate on different racks.
In the shown embodiment of FIG. 1, the interconnections between the various telecommunications lines are made using patch cords 20. Both ends of each patch cord 20 are terminated with connectors 22, such as an RJ-45 telecommunication connector or a RJ-11 telecommunications connector. One end of the patch cord 20 is connected to the connector port 16 of a first telecommunications line and the opposite end of the cord is connected to the connector port 16 of a second telecommunications line. By selectively connecting the external lines to the internal lines with the patch cords 20, any combination of telecommunications lines can be interconnected.
In many businesses, employees are assigned their own computer network access number exchange so that the employee can interface with the company""s main frame computer or computer network. When an employee moves offices, it is not desirable to provide that employee with newly addressed telecommunication connection ports. Rather, to preserve consistency in communications, it is preferred that the voice and data services being provided to connection ports in the employee""s old office be transferred to the telecommunications ports in the employee""s new office. To accomplish this task, the patch cords in the telecommunication closet are rearranged so that the employee""s old voice and data services are now received in his/her new office.
As employees, move, change positions, add lines and subtract lines, the patch cords in a typical telecommunications closet are rearranged quite often. The interconnections of the various patch cords in a telecommunications closet are often logged in either paper or computer based log. However, technicians often neglect to update the log each and every time a change is made. Inevitably, the log is less than 100% accurate and a technician has no way of reading where each of the patch cords begins and ends. Accordingly, each time a technician needs to change a patch cord, that technician manually traces that patch cord between an internal line and an external line. To preform a manual trace, the technician locates one end of a patch cord. The technician then manually follows the patch cord until he/she finds the opposite end of that patch cord. Once the two ends of the patch cord are located, the patch cord can be positively identified.
It takes a significant amount of time for a technician to manually trace a particular patch cord. Furthermore, manual tracing is not completely accurate and technicians often accidently go from one patch cord to another during a manual trace. Such errors result in misconnected telecommunication lines which must be later identified and corrected.
Additionally, when repositioning a patch cord, it is often difficult for a technician to find a specific connector port in the hundreds of connector ports available in a telecommunications closet. Accordingly, it is not uncommon for a technician to accidently select the wrong connector port and disrupt a patch cord connection that should not have been disrupted.
In an attempt to assist a technician in finding a specific connector port within a telecommunications closet, tracing systems have been developed that provide a visible indication as to the location of a targeted connector port. Such tracing systems are exemplified in co-pending application Ser. No. 09/247,614, entitled System and Method of Operation For a Telecommunication Patch System, which is incorporated into this disclosure by reference. In such systems, a light is lit next to the connector port being targeted. A technician can see the light and is immediately led to the targeted connector port. The light is an LED that is positioned near each of the connector ports. The LEDs are built into the structure of the racks that support the connector ports.
A problem associated with such tracing systems that use LEDs is that the LEDs are small and are densely packed together on the different racks in the telecommunications closet. Accordingly, it is not uncommon for a technician to experience parallax and associate a particular LED with the wrong connector port. This often results in the technician disrupting the wrong patch cord connection in the telecommunications closet.
A need therefore exists for an apparatus and method that better identifies a specific patch cord connector ports within the confines of a telecommunications closet.
The present invention is a device, system and method for locating a specific patch cord connection port contained within a telecommunications closet having line tracing capabilities. An LED is provided at each of the connector ports present within the telecommunications closet that is in position to illuminate the connector port or illuminate a shroud positioned in front of the connector port. The LEDs can be individually and selectively illuminated. Accordingly, individually identified connector ports can be selectively illuminated within the telecommunications closet. This greatly increases the ability of a technician to accurately locate the patch cord connector port within the telecommunications closet that has been targeted by the patch cord tracing system.